Improvement in grain-drills



2S11eets-Sheet 1. J. M. SMITH & W. C. THOMAS.

Grain Drill. No. 210,719. Patented Dec. 10,1878.

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UNITED STATES JOSHUA M. SMITH AND HEXRY W. O. THOMAS, OF SPRINGFIELD,OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAlN-DRlLLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,719, dated December10, 1878; application filed February 28, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSHUA M. SMITH and HENRY W. (l'lnonlis, ofSpringfield, in the county of Clarke and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Drills; and we do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

This invent-ion is an improvement in seeding-machines that areespecially designed for sowing broadcast; and consists, particularly, inthe construction of certain parts, and in the general arrangement of thewhole, as will be herein set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation ofour improved seeding-machine. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a plan view of thefertilizer-hopper with the lid removed to exhibit the agitating devices.Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is abottoin plan view of the machine. Fig. 4, Sheet 2,is a side elevation of our improved spring-hoe.

Corresponding letters of reference indicate like parts in all thefigures.

The frame-work of our machine is of the usual construction, consistingotthe side beams A and the cross-beams B and C. These beams support thehoppers, of which D is for grain andE for guano or any other fertilizer.Bolted upon the beams A are the hollow wheelspindles it, upon which thecarriage-wheels lbars in the usual way. This bar is hung berevolve.

To the under side of each of the beams A,

between the beams 13 and O, is secured a pair of parallel guide-plates,b, separated by washers c at each end, as seen in Fig. 1. Across thefront of the frame, in the same plane with the lower of these plates,lie a series of fiat rectangular metal plates, cl, with ends abutting,as indicated. These plates are held in the same plane, and injuxtaposition by parallel bars a and f, of which two sets, 12, are ofwood, and lie upon the plates, and two sets, f, of metal, and lie underthe plates, and coincident with the others. These bars are connected bybolts g, which pass through longitudinal parallel slots h in the plates(Z, as shown in Fig. 3.

The outer ends of the bars (1 on each side of the frame pass between theguide-plates b, as seen in Fig. 1.

,bythe bolts t.

F F are two parallel metal bars, bolted to the under sides of the beamsB and O at points just over the middle of the two sets of bars 6,respectively, the latter bcin g pivoted to them On the rear edgesof eachof the plates (1 are cars or lugs j, to which the drag-bars G arepivoted, Fig. 3.

' To the abutting ends of the bars 0 are pivoted short metal bars 7;,which are parallel to each other and to the bars F. Into an aperture inthe rear end of each of these bars 70 is inserted the end of a link, I,Fig. 3, which passes through the lower end of a lever, H, pivoted in amortise in the tongue J, and extending upwardly, as shown in Fig 1. Now, by moving this lever, the bars a and f, turnin g upon their pivotsi, are made to assume a straight or a V-shaped line. When these arestraight, the rear edges of the plates d are all in line, but when theyare shifted by the lever to a V-shaped line, then the abutting ends ofthe plates (1, by reason of their arrangement and connection, slide uponeach other and assume the position shown in Fig. 3. This construction ofparts enables us to shift the hoes from a straight to a V-shaped rank,at pleasure; and, further, the drag-bars in shifting move in straightlines back and forth without approaching each other.

S is the ordinary lifting-bar, provided with chains for raising the rearends of the dragtween the rear ends of the side beams A, to which it ispivoted by means of end plates, whose lower ends are formed intocanrdisks r, of the shape shown. These disks are pivoted on the one sideto a plate, 2, and on the other to a segmental ratchet, M, bolted uponthe end of the beam A. On the pivot which connects the cam-disk to theratchet, and between them, is pivoted, by means of a slot, a lever, N,provided with a catch or dog, 0, which engages with the segmentalratchet. The slot in the lever allows it suficient play to engage ordisengage the dog with the ratchet. By means of this lever theliftingbar can be swung upon its pivot to regulate the height of thehoes and their depth of penetration.

Through the hollow wheel-spindles a pass short stub-axles c, whichrotate within them.

The outer ends of these stub-axles project.

from the spindles, as do likewise the hubs of the wheels I, which lastare keyed to the stubaxles by means of pins passed through theirextremities, as indicated. Keyed upon the inner ends of the stub-axles,just on the inner side of the beams A, are clutches d, Fig. 3. Hung tothe under side of the hopper, in line with the stub-ax1es c, and insuitable brackets, are two shafts, b, with ends abutting halfway betweenthe beams A, and having their outer ends abutting against the inner endsof the stub-axles. Upon the outer ends of this divided shaft 1) arefitted loose clutches a, which are connected by feathers to the shaftsb. In bearing-ears a, bolted to the beams A, as shown in Fig. 3, arepivoted two levers, T, of the shape indicated. The forward ends of theselevers are forked, and the prongs lie in annular grooves in the clutchesa, as shown. The rear ends of these levers rest against the cam-disks r,and are held pressed against them by the springs I), of any suitableconstruction, connected to the beams A. Upon raising the lifting-bar S,by means of the lever N, the cam-disks 4" press upon the ends of thelevers T, and hold the clutches a from engagement with the clutches d.Upon lowerin g the lifting-bar, however, and with it the hoes orcultivator-teeth, the cam-disks release the ends of the levers T, whichare then pressed out by the springs b, thereby sliding the clutches ainto engagement with the clutches d, so that the revolution of thewheels I causes the shafts b torotate.

The bottom of the fertilizer-hopper E slants forward at an angle ofabout thirty degrees.

At or near the bottom of this slope are equidistant apertures 0, whosesize may be regulated by a slide of any suitable construction, which isalso capable of entirely closing them when desired. Over each of theseapertures is a trifurcated agitator, d, pivoted to the bottom of thehopper, as seen in Fig. 2.

A bar, 61, rests upon the rear ends of these agitators, to which each ofthem is pivoted, so

that the longitudinal reciprocation of the bar will cause the horizontalvibration of the agitators. Half-way between each of the agitators is afinger, g, rigidly attached to the bar 61', as shown. As the bar 01reciprocates, the agitators and fingers just described approach andrecede from each other, for the purpose of keeping the guano or otherfertilizer in constant motion, and preventing it from bridging over theoutlets. By slanting the bottom, as described, all of the contents ofthe hopper will find its way to the discharge-outlets.

On the under side of the hopper, directly under the bar 01, is a similarbar, a, pivoted to short arms f, Fig. 3, which have their endsrespectively pivoted to the bolts which pivot the agitators in thehopper. The bolt which connects the bar to one of the arms f passesthrough a slot in the bottom of the hopper and into the bar 01, thusuniting the bars 61 and 0'. These bars and the agitating devices arecaused to vibrate by means of a lever or arm, 70, pivoted to the bar 6and the hopper, as indicated in Fig. 3. The opposite end of this arm isrounded and travels in the groove of a worm, G, keyed upon eithersection of the shaft 1), as shown. The revolution of the shaft causesthe arm k to vibrate, which in turn actuates the agitating-fingers inthe hopper, as before stated.

Between the rear ends of each of the dragbars Gare bolted joint-piecesO, of the shape shown, and to each of these joint-pieces is bolted apair of extension-bars, B, as indicated. Between the rear ends of theextension-bars are bolted the standards G, having flanged heads, whichrest upon the bars B, and also having vertical slots through them, asshown. They may be made of two pieces, which are clamped together by abolt which unites them to the extension-bars, as is seen in the drawing.

The cultivator hoes or teeth E are pivoted at or near their tops in theslots of the standards, and they are held in working position byclamping-bolts a, which pass through the standards and through therecesses u, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. These bolts are sufficientto clamp the teeth between the springarms of the standards, and thusfriction-brakes are formed capable of holding the teeth in workingposition until an obstacle is met, such as a stump or large stone, whenthey will yield and swing back upon their pivots, as indicated by thedotted lines in Fig. 1. If desired, holes may be drilled through thestandards and the teeth, into which ordinary brake-pins may be inserted.4

In order to increase the number of teeth without adding additionaldrag-bars, we prodiminish'the number of teeth without changing thenumber of drag-bars.

, For sowing seed from the hopper D we em ploy a series of conduits, H,of the shape indicated, which are hung either upon the shafts b or uponsuitable pivots arranged under the hopper. The grain flows from openingsin the bottom of the hopper through these tubes to the ground, and iscovered in by the cultivator-teeth, which follow in the rear.

To retain the tubes in position we employ cylindrical brackets s, boltedto the crossbeam 0, which contains sliding rods or links m, held in byspiral or other springs. The rear ends of these links are united to thecon duits H, as shown. WVhen an obstruction is encountered, the lowerends of these conducting-tubes yield and swing back until it is passed,when they are drawn into position again by the springs.

We claim as follows:

1. The plates (1, to which the drag-bars are attached seriat'im,abutting each other, and actuated by sets of shifting-bars c and f, toshift the hoes from a straight to a V-shaped or diagonal rank, as setforth.

2. The guide-plates 11, between which the ends of the bars e areconfined, in combina 'tion with the plates at and the bars 8 and f, ihewhole constructed and arranged as speci- 3. The lifting-lever N,provided with the catch 0 and pivotal slot p, in combination with thelifting-bar S and segmental ratchet M substantially as specified.

4. The hollow spindles a, in combination with the wheels I, whose hubsextend beyond the spindles and are keyed to the ends-of the stub-axles0, provided on their inner ends with clutches d, .the whole constructedand arranged substantially as specified.

Witness our hands this 31st day of January, A. D. 1878.

JOSHUA M. SMlTH. HENRY W. O. THOMAS.

Witnesses E. S. WALLAGE, S. A. BOWMAN.

